Research Question: Are standardized tests biased? Contributed by: Claire Hilsinger
Testing In Schools: Should students be teste anually? (by Kenneth Jost)
Summary
Reaction
Standarized Testing and its Victims (by Alfie Kohn)
Summary
This article says that standardized tests are biased because the questions they ask require knowledge and skills that, often times, only privileged students have. You can really see the bias of standardized tests when you look at norm-referenced tests, where in order to spread out the scores, they create questions that require students to use knowledge they gain outside of school. This tests in particular give students who have well-educated parents an advantage. It is ironic that these tests are relied on to "close the gap" between wealthier and poorer schools because students do not have an equal opportunity to do well on these tests. Studnts who come from wealthier and more privileged families also have more access to test preparation classes tha less privilieged students have.
Reaction
I think it is interesting that standardized are used to help "close the gap" between wealthy ad poor schools when students do not have equal oppotunity get good scores on these tests. I think changes definitely need to be made in the creation of these tests so that the questions are fair for all students. These tests should present an equal opportunity for students from all different schools and backgrounds do produce good scores on standardized tests.
The Case Against Standardized Tests (by Chris Carter)
Summary
People believe that standardized tests are objective because they are multiple choice, but they aren't. But the entire test is created by a group of men and they decide what questions should be asked on the test and how they should be worded. In fact, the only part of the tests that can considered obective is the gradig and that is because it is done by a machine. But even the grading isn't really objective because the test makers decide which answers are right and which are wrong. These tests are considered to be biased against women, minority children, children from poor families. According to this article women usually score lower on these tests but get better grades once they are in college. These tests also do a bad job of predicting grades for African American students, which is another form of bias. These tests are also bias against the poor i that the poor score lower in tests like the SAT and therefore have more trouble gettig accepted to colleges. It has also been proved that coachig helps students do better on standardized tests, but coaching is very expensive, which is yet another disadvantage for poor students. John Katzman said, "Most of our kids are wealthy. Those are the kids who have an advantage to begin with. And we're moving them up to another level." (Carter)
Reaction
It upsets me how many different people are affected by the fact that these tests are bias. You don't realize it as your taking the tests, but it really is harder for different people. I can't believe that it is not only bias towards minority and poor children but also women. As a woman that is concerning and upsetting and I feel like I was not given an equal opportunity. They should have many different kinds of people creating these tests so they can be fair for all different kinds of people. I also think that test preparation classes should be made more accessible to all students. I know know that I took a class to help prepare me for the SATs and I think all students should be able to take a class like that because it was really helpful.
National Education Standards: Will they reflect local schools' flexibility? (by Kathy Koch)
Summary
This article says that test fairness is not measured by what is on the test but by how the test is administered. Kathy Koch says that as long as students are given enough time to prepare for the tests. She also said that students who need more time to prepare should be given more time. The fairness is not in what is on the test or what the standards are made up of, but in how students prepare for tests. According to this article as long as students have enough time and help to prepare there is no need to lower standards or change tests.
Reaction
I disagree with this article. I think the topics the tests cover and the questions they ask are what make the test bias. If making the tests equal was as easy as giving students more study time and help don't you think it would have been done already? I like to think so. I think it is a mistake to assume that given more time to prepare students will automatically do beter on these tests. They need to change the content of the tests so that all students can answer the questions because they require skills and knowledge that all of the students have.
Contributed by: Claire Hilsinger
Testing In Schools: Should students be teste anually? (by Kenneth Jost)
Summary
Reaction
Standarized Testing and its Victims (by Alfie Kohn)
Summary
This article says that standardized tests are biased because the questions they ask require knowledge and skills that, often times, only privileged students have. You can really see the bias of standardized tests when you look at norm-referenced tests, where in order to spread out the scores, they create questions that require students to use knowledge they gain outside of school. This tests in particular give students who have well-educated parents an advantage. It is ironic that these tests are relied on to "close the gap" between wealthier and poorer schools because students do not have an equal opportunity to do well on these tests. Studnts who come from wealthier and more privileged families also have more access to test preparation classes tha less privilieged students have.Reaction
I think it is interesting that standardized are used to help "close the gap" between wealthy ad poor schools when students do not have equal oppotunity get good scores on these tests. I think changes definitely need to be made in the creation of these tests so that the questions are fair for all students. These tests should present an equal opportunity for students from all different schools and backgrounds do produce good scores on standardized tests.
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/staiv.htm
The Case Against Standardized Tests (by Chris Carter)
SummaryPeople believe that standardized tests are objective because they are multiple choice, but they aren't. But the entire test is created by a group of men and they decide what questions should be asked on the test and how they should be worded. In fact, the only part of the tests that can considered obective is the gradig and that is because it is done by a machine. But even the grading isn't really objective because the test makers decide which answers are right and which are wrong. These tests are considered to be biased against women, minority children, children from poor families. According to this article women usually score lower on these tests but get better grades once they are in college. These tests also do a bad job of predicting grades for African American students, which is another form of bias. These tests are also bias against the poor i that the poor score lower in tests like the SAT and therefore have more trouble gettig accepted to colleges. It has also been proved that coachig helps students do better on standardized tests, but coaching is very expensive, which is yet another disadvantage for poor students. John Katzman said, "Most of our kids are wealthy. Those are the kids who have an advantage to begin with. And we're moving them up to another level." (Carter)
Reaction
It upsets me how many different people are affected by the fact that these tests are bias. You don't realize it as your taking the tests, but it really is harder for different people. I can't believe that it is not only bias towards minority and poor children but also women. As a woman that is concerning and upsetting and I feel like I was not given an equal opportunity. They should have many different kinds of people creating these tests so they can be fair for all different kinds of people. I also think that test preparation classes should be made more accessible to all students. I know know that I took a class to help prepare me for the SATs and I think all students should be able to take a class like that because it was really helpful.
http://testcritic.homestead.com/files/standardized_tests.html
National Education Standards: Will they reflect local schools' flexibility? (by Kathy Koch)
Summary
This article says that test fairness is not measured by what is on the test but by how the test is administered. Kathy Koch says that as long as students are given enough time to prepare for the tests. She also said that students who need more time to prepare should be given more time. The fairness is not in what is on the test or what the standards are made up of, but in how students prepare for tests. According to this article as long as students have enough time and help to prepare there is no need to lower standards or change tests.Reaction
I disagree with this article. I think the topics the tests cover and the questions they ask are what make the test bias. If making the tests equal was as easy as giving students more study time and help don't you think it would have been done already? I like to think so. I think it is a mistake to assume that given more time to prepare students will automatically do beter on these tests. They need to change the content of the tests so that all students can answer the questions because they require skills and knowledge that all of the students have.
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1999051400&type=hitlist&num=2